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Originally posted by empirebuilder
The whole psychoacoustical research with imaging is pretty amazing... |
Front/back reversal is a pretty interesting phenomenon. A search on the web shows that it has been well researched and documented for quite a long time. Some listeners are more sensitive to it than others, though I wonder what in our evolution caused us to retain this quirk. Anyway, now
you can post a response the next time someone asks why 2 speakers are used for the mono EX/ES channel.

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So is there anything in the wind currently to support separate back channels? A new Dolby or DTS system? |
I wish, but nothing (yet) from Dolby or DTS unfortunately. THX did finally address stereo rears with their Ultra 2 program. Companies that specialize in surround processing, like Meridian and Lexicon, have had stereo rears (actually, four independent surround channels) for many years.
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I have also heard of a "ceiling speaker". |
Yup. I remember reading that it may already be in use in some IMAX theaters, but I'm not sure. The recent Mel Gibson flick,
'We Were Soldiers', was supposedly the first commercial feature to have a ceiling channel encoded in as part of its theatrical surround mix. No word on how that will be handled on consumer gear. A height channel does sound cool though!
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It would seem the reciever market is geared up for 7.1 channels. |
It's trending that way; though for Lexicon and Meridian users, 7.1 is nothing new. As a long time Lexicon user, I find 5.1 to be somewhat of a compromise for my tastes.
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What do the 7.1 channel receivers do then, output the same signal to both back left and back right? |
Exactly. However, some receivers (like a couple of LOGIC7 equipped Harman Kardon models or any THX Ultra 2 certified ones) have processing to give you true stereo rears.
Best,
Sanjay